Martin Kaymer fired a six-under 66 on
Sunday to come from behind and win the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship, his
third consecutive victory.
The German started the run with his first major title at the
PGA
Championship,
then won KLM Open almost a month later in his first start
since Whistling
Straits.
"Actually, I won four in a row with the Ryder Cup," Kaymer
pointed out on
television.
Mix in the victorious Ryder Cup appearance last week along with
the fact that
Kaymer comfortably leads the Race to Dubai and this has been
an extremely
successful 2010.
Kaymer birdied the famous Road Hole at St. Andrews from just off
the green. He
added another birdie at the closing hole to secure the
three-shot win. Kaymer
finished at 17-under 271 for his eighth European Tour
title.
"This was a fantastic week, especially coming from the Ryder
Cup, winning the
Ryder Cup, and then playing here at St. Andrews," said
Kaymer. "Dream come
true."
Danny Willett tied Kaymer with an eagle at the 14th, but Kaymer
pulled away
late in the round. Willet posted a five-under 67 and took a
solo second at
minus-14.
Third-round leader John Parry became undone by a double-bogey at
the 14th
Sunday. He rebounded with birdies at the last two for an
even-par 72 and third
at 13-under 275.
Kaymer trailed Parry by two, but that margin was erased quickly.
Kaymer
converted a four-foot birdie putt at the first and Parry
bogeyed the same hole
one group later. The pair was tied at 12-under par.
Kaymer took the outright lead with a birdie at five, but Parry
answered with a
birdie of his own. Kaymer birdied No. 6, but his eight-foot
par save at the
seventh stayed above ground to once again knot the two in
first.
Parry inched ahead with a birdie at the ninth, but bogeyed 11.
Kaymer sank a
nine-foot birdie putt at the 12th and was one ahead. Parry
bogeyed 13 and
doubled 14 to fall well off the pace, but someone else
stepped up to challenge
Kaymer.
Willett, playing in the penultimate group with the PGA Champion,
holed a long
eagle putt from off the green at the 14th. That putt tied him
with Kaymer, but
the German rolled in a 30-footer of his own for birdie at the
same hole to
reclaim his one-stroke cushion.
Willett didn't make another birdie coming in, but Kaymer certainly did.
At the famed 17th, Kaymer missed the putting surface with
approach. His long
putt headed right for the center of the hole, then fell in
the side for the
unlikely birdie.
"There was a little luck involved," admitted Kaymer.
At the last, Kaymer drove near the road in the fairway. His feet
were on the
road when he knocked his approach seven feet left of the
flagstick. Kaymer ran
home the putt for the three-stroke victory.
"I'm just playing solid golf at the moment," said Kaymer. "I
just feel very
good about my golf. I enjoy playing out here. I have a lot of
fun when I play
golf."
Gary Boyd had a four-under 68 and came in fourth at 12-under 276.
Last year's winner Simon Dyson (66), Martin Laird (67) and
Alvaro Quiros (72)
shared fifth at 11-under 277, followed by David Howell,
Richard McEvoy and
Phillip Price. That trio tied for eighth at minus-eight.
Lee Westwood's bid to become No. 1 in the world went nowhere on
Sunday. He
needed to finish no worse than in a three-way tie for second
to overtake Tiger
Woods for No. 1, but Westwood shot a one-over 73 and tied for
11th.
NOTES: Graeme McDowell, who holed the winning putt Monday at the
Ryder Cup,
managed an even-par 72 and tied for 17th, with, among others,
Ryder Cup
teammate Padraig Harrington...European Ryder Cup captain
Colin Montgomerie
shot a one-under 71 and tied for 41st at minus-one...Next
week is the Portugal
Masters, which was won last year by Westwood, although he may
not defend after
he re-injured his leg in Thursday's first round.
